How to Talk to a Team Member with Declining Performance: A Scrum Master's Guide

Alex, an experienced Scrum Master, was adept at noticing even the slightest shifts in his team's dynamics. For the past few Sprints, he had observed a noticeable decline in the performance of Ben, one of the team's most capable developers. Ben, who used to actively participate in every Daily Scrum and volunteer for tasks to achieve the Sprint Goal, was now quieter. He sometimes arrived late to Daily Scrums, or occasionally missed them altogether. Tasks assigned to him were delayed, impacting the team's overall velocity.

Sarah, the Product Owner, had shared her concerns with Alex: 'Is Ben struggling with focus? Or has his motivation dropped? We're starting to see the repercussions in our Sprint Reviews.' Other developers on the team were also uneasy but hesitated to speak directly with Ben. Alex knew this situation was negatively affecting team morale and self-management. Now, he faced a critical question: How should he talk to Ben? How could he initiate a dialogue without judgment or accusation, yet without ignoring the seriousness of the situation?

As a Scrum Master, encountering a team member with declining performance can be challenging. The initial instinct might be to address the problem directly, or perhaps even offer a solution. However, such approaches often backfire:

Direct Accusation or Judgment: Saying 'Ben, you've been slacking off lately' will likely trigger defensiveness. It can lead to feelings of shame or resentment, shutting down communication entirely. The individual may feel misunderstood and become reluctant to share the real reasons.

Ignoring the Problem: Overlooking the issue or assuming 'it will fix itself' leads to bigger problems. The performance decline persists, the burden on other team members increases, and team morale suffers. Furthermore, the Scrum Master's role in leadership and facilitation may be questioned.

Immediately Offering Solutions: Telling someone 'You should do X' undermines their ability to solve their own problems and their self-management. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate the team's self-organization and problem-solving, not to generate solutions for them. This creates dependency and hinders personal growth.

In such a delicate situation, a Scrum Master needs to leverage agile coaching skills and servant leadership principles rather than traditional management techniques. Here are the critical capabilities for successfully navigating such a conversation:

Observational Leadership: Making observations based purely on facts, without judgment. What am I seeing? What am I hearing? What is the impact of these observations on the individual or the team?

Empathetic Listening: Striving to understand the emotions and needs beyond the individual's words. Listening not just to what is said, but also to body language, tone of voice, and what remains unsaid.

Non-Judgmental Feedback: Expressing observations using 'I' statements and avoiding personal interpretations. Saying 'I observe X' instead of 'You are Y'.

Coaching Questions for Scrum Masters: Asking open-ended questions that enable the individual to become aware of their situation, explore underlying causes, and discover their own solutions. (E.g., 'I'm curious about how this situation is affecting you?', 'What do you need in this regard?')

Fostering Team Accountability: Emphasizing that the problem is not just individual but also part of the team, and that the solution can be found through the team's collective effort.

Managing Difficult Conversations: The ability to address uncomfortable or sensitive topics in an open, respectful, and constructive manner. This requires both emotional intelligence and communication mastery.

Talking to a team member with declining performance requires careful preparation and an empathetic approach. Here are the steps Alex can follow when talking to Ben:

1. Observe and Prepare:

Before the conversation, note down your concrete observations. Which behaviors or outcomes are causing concern? (E.g., Daily Scrum attendance, task completion times, team interaction). Consider the impact of these observations on the team. Remind yourself that your goal is not to judge the person, but to support them and maintain team health.

2. Initiate the Conversation (Private, Safe Space):

Hold the conversation in a private setting, free from distractions. Start with a phrase like, 'Ben, I'd like to have a quick chat with you about something I've noticed, are you available?' This signals the sensitivity of the topic and gives the person a chance to prepare.

3. Share Observations, Not Judgments:

Begin the conversation with your concrete observations. Use 'I' language. Say something like, 'Ben, I've noticed some changes over the last few Sprints, and I wanted to check in with you. My observation is that your participation in Daily Scrums has decreased, and some tasks are taking longer to complete. What are your thoughts on this?' Focus on behaviors and results, not character or intent.

4. Listen Actively and Empathetically:

Listen fully to Ben's response without interrupting. Pay attention to his emotional reactions. Perhaps he's experiencing a personal issue, or he might be overwhelmed by workload. Dig deeper with questions like, 'I'm curious about how this situation is affecting you,' or 'Is there anything else underlying this?' Summarize what you've heard to show you understand: 'So, if I understand correctly, situation X is affecting you in way Y.'

5. Explore Underlying Causes and Needs:

Use coaching questions to get to the root of the problem. Help Ben discover his own solutions with questions like, 'Is there a reason for these changes?', 'What might help you with this?', 'What do you need from the team or from me?' Remember, your role is not to provide solutions, but to facilitate the solution-finding process.

6. Facilitate Self-Discovery and Commitment:

Create space for Ben to take ownership of his situation and generate ideas on what he can do. Encourage him to take action with questions like, 'What would be the first step you could take to address this?', 'What goal would you set for yourself for the upcoming Sprint?' Help him identify small, manageable steps.

7. Define Next Steps and Follow-up:

At the end of the conversation, establish agreed-upon next steps and a follow-up point. 'Shall we check in again next week to see how things are going?' This demonstrates your support while reinforcing accountability.

8. Reinforce Team Responsibility:

If there's a point where the team can be involved in Ben's solution process, gently bring it up. Questions like, 'How can we, as a team, support you?' or 'Would you like to get the team's support on this?' encourage team self-management and collaboration. Remember, a Scrum Team is a self-managing unit capable of solving problems together.

Here are some phrases Alex might use in his conversation with Ben:

When Initiating the Conversation:

'Ben, I wanted to have a quick chat with you about some things I've noticed lately. Are you available now?'

When Sharing Observations:

'My observation is that your participation in Daily Scrums has decreased, and some tasks are taking longer to complete. I'm curious about your thoughts on this.'

'Sarah also expressed some concerns about this in the Sprint Review. What's your perspective?'

When Listening Empathetically and Asking Questions:

'I understand you're feeling a lot of pressure. Is there anything else underlying this situation?'

'How can I support you with this? What do you need from the team or from me?'

'What would be the first step that comes to mind for you to address this situation?'

When Reinforcing Team Responsibility:

'Remember, we're a team, and we're here to support each other. How can we, as a team, navigate this situation?'

'Perhaps we could discuss this in the team retrospective under a general 'workload management' topic, what do you think?'